Tests of Courage
by deviantdata3314
Summary: Sometime after Zuko joins the Gaang, they are attacked by the YuYan Archers. Courage comes in many forms, how will they respond to the events after that attack? Zutara.


It all happened so quickly, first their group was sitting by their campfire and then a flurry of arrows descended upon them. Without a second thought, Katara fled into the darkness of the forest.

Running with all her might, she weaved in and out of the trees, racing the sounds of footfalls coming form behind her. Sliding behind a large tree, she sank to her knees, hoping her pursuers would continue running on ahead. Unfortunately a hand grasped hers from behind. Before she could scream, another was placed on her mouth.

"Shhh!!" She heard Zuko whisper forcefully. Still holding her hand, he pulled her to her feet and led her into the trees.

After what felt like an eternity, Zuko suddenly halted. For a moment he stood there, intently listening for any sound of movement. Walking closer to a large tree, he knelt down and examined it. To Katara's amazement, he disappeared inside.

"Come in here!" Zuko whispered again. Confused, Katara walked closer to the tree, placing her hands on it. Common sense sank in as she noticed it was a hollowed tree. "Hurry up!" she heard him murmur. Bending over farther, she stuck her head into the tree trunk, unhappy at what she saw.

"There isn't any room for me," she angrily said. "Yes, there is," he retorted, grabbing her arms and forcing her in the rest of the way.

"OWW!" Katara rubbed her head, after having in knocked into the side of the tree.

"There ISN'T any room for me!" she snapped again, standing over the prince. The space inside the tree fit one sitting person, not two.

"You can sit on my lap." He replied calmly.

"WHAT?!"

"Shh!! Listen, I know it's awkward, but those are Yu Yan Archers out there. They can hit a fly 50 paces away. We're lucky they missed us the first time…. I think they wanted to chase us. Now, c'mon." He tugged at her arm again. "We need to be quiet."

"Easy for you to say, you don't have to sit in someone's lap," she grumbled.

As if on cue, they heard some rustling from outside. Zuko pulled Katara into his lap. She didn't fight him.

"Where did they go?" They heard a rough voice yell. "Lieutenant! Have your men search the woods. They will be found." A twig snapped next to the tree they were hiding in.

Katara, now flush against Zuko's chest, couldn't take it anymore. She was scared, very scared. She buried her face against his neck, fighting her tears. It was a losing battle.

Zuko, meanwhile, must have felt the added wetness to his skin, and placed an arm around her, rubbing her back. She whimpered in spite of herself and soon felt his other hand cover her mouth. She felt his thumb wipe her tears away. Then, he angled her head up and looked at her, willing her not to make another sound. Even though only a bit of moonlight illuminated his face, she could still see the fear in his eyes as well. Knowing he was scared made her feel a bit better about the situation.

After what felt like days, but really was only a couple of hours, Katara began to relax. They hadn't heard any more noises. At some point in time, Zuko had removed his hand from her mouth and placed it behind her head, gently rubbing her in a calming fashion. Being up against the warm firebender was very relaxing, only because he produced a great amount of body heat. Between the rubbing and the heat, Katara fell fast asleep.

Zuko started awake in the morning, right as the sun rose. Angry at himself for not keeping guard all night, he smiled looking down at the waterbender in his arms. Then reality set in. She still hated him, and her waking up against his chest was probably not the best way to make her loss that hatred. Eyes growing wide, Zuko searched his mind for something to say to her before she pummeled him in the ground. Without coming up with anything, he felt her move slightly. At that moment, Zuko didn't know whether being chased by the Fire Nation's best archers or having an angry waterbender wake up in your arms was the scarier option.

Zuko felt Katara stiffen, knowing she was now fully awake. Frenzied, his mind searched for something, anything to say. "Are you okay?" he finally blurted out.

Sitting up in his lap, she looked up and answered, "Yes, I'm fine….. Are they gone?"

For a brief moment, Zuko forgot who "they" were. "Umm… I think so."

"I was really scared last night." She admitted quietly.

"I was too." That reply brought a smile to her face. Zuko thought about how pretty she looked when she smiled and how rare it was for him to see it. Tentatively, he raised him his hand and cupped her face, rubbing her cheek. She closed her eyes, leaning into his touch.

Perhaps the tension from last night sparked this, or there was an affection there all along, Zuko did not know. Gently he lowered his face to hers, mere inches from her lips. His own lips tingled with sensation, aching to be touched. His heart raced and his breathing increased. Closing his eyes, he inched closer. Suddenly, he stopped, just a breathe away from kissing her.

Jolting back, Zuko turned his head towards the opening of the tree. Confusion replaced the elation of being so close to her. Why he couldn't go through with the kiss was a mystery to him.

"We should go," he finally said after a couple minutes of awkward silence. He couldn't look her in the face. Zuko felt her shift off him, and watched Katara squirm out of the tree. All in all, Zuko considered himself a very observant person, but he didn't see the tear running down her face.


End file.
